Melt
by bigbagofweird
Summary: Following the fight in 'Teach Me Tonight.' Lorelai goes out of her way to make things right with Luke.
1. Crow

**A/N:** **A huge thanks to the amazing Jewels for her patience and help!**

Lorelai glimpsed the New York City skyline through her window. She usually enjoyed going into the city, but this trip was not for pleasure. She would have rather gone shopping than to follow the path this trip was taking her.

The reason for this journey was to make a wrong right. She was going to New York to eat crow. Crow was not easy for her to eat. She knew she was stubborn. She had a really hard time admitting when she was wrong. She wanted to fix this situation more than anything, so she formulated a plan that she hoped would prove how remorseful she was.

As the scenery passed by her window, her mind drifted to the last conversation she had with Luke in the diner.

"_So, this is how it's gonna be with us now, huh?" she said sadly, hanging her head._

"_No idea what you're talking about," Luke said nonchalantly._

"_You're pulling a Mr. Freeze on me."_

"_I'm not pulling a Mr. Freeze on you."_

"_Please," she said sarcastically. "I'm gonna need snow chains just to get out of here."_

"_I assume you want coffee with your donuts," he stated._

"_I'm sorry, Luke. It was a bad night. I completely freaked out. I said some things. . .did you get my note? I wrote you a note," she implored._

"_Got your note."_

"_You got my note. Did you read my note?" she asked._

"_Read your note." _

"_And?" _

"_It was very well-written."_

"_That's it?" she said with exasperation_

"_I also enjoyed the Garfield stationary. That's one funny cat," he said with a smirk._

"_I said I was sorry, Luke." _

"_Yes, you did." _

"_I said it like a million times." _

"_You said it four times, but I understand you're embellishing for dramatic effects," he grumbled._

"_Stop," she said emphatically._

"_Stop what?" _

"_Oh, stop this robot talk. If you're mad, just act like you're mad at me," she said in frustration. _

"_I'm not mad at you." _

"_You're being really, really unfair. Rory was in the hospital," she rationalized._

"_Lorelai, what is it exactly that you want me to do? I'm not mad, I'm not holding a grudge, I heard your apology, I feel I'm being polite, I listened to your donut bit, I got you your coffee. What would make you happy?" _

"_I want Luke back," she pleaded._

"_He's standing right here," he said noncommittally. _

"_No, he's not," she said with conviction. _

That conversation was what inspired this trip. She was very upset after she talked to Luke, and she couldn't figure out why he was being so obstinate. She apologized several times for yelling at him, but then it occurred to her that telling him to go to hell was only a small part of the issue. She didn't apologize for the right reasons. She was in denial of her culpability in Jess leaving. She didn't consider Luke's relationship with Jess or even Jess himself.

Luke was a family man. He put his family above all else, and Jess was his family. She knew in her heart that Luke considered her and Rory to be family as well. He was probably in anguish over what he should do.

On the one hand, he had two people that he had grown close to over the years. People that he would do anything for, and had proven it on numerous occasions. He may not have told them he cared, but the fact that he was there whenever they needed him demonstrated his affection for them.

On the other hand, there was his nephew. A blood relation of whom he was guardian. He had an obligation to take care of him and make sure he was safe.

She jumped down his throat for showing concern for a boy that needed guidance. Jess had had a rough time, and he needed someone just to give a damn. She failed Luke, and she failed Jess. Not that she had any responsibility toward Jess aside from the fact that he was Luke's nephew. But that should have been enough reason to care.

She accused Luke of not caring about her or Rory when she knew that he would give his life for them. She cut him with her words and shoved his devotion in his face. Because of her vehemence that it was Jess' fault and Luke's by extension that Rory got hurt, he chose to send Jess back to New York, and it obviously caused Luke to resent her for it. He really shouldn't have had to choose.

Lorelai tried to concentrate on navigating around the city with the directions Rory printed off the computer for her. She was thankful that Rory had been in contact with Jess so she would know where he could be found.

After many twists and turns, she finally saw the number for Jess' apartment building. She drove around the block for a few minutes trying to find a parking space.

Locking her car she walked toward her destination and what also felt like her doom. She could feel her stomach do somersaults and her heart hammering in her chest.

She entered the building and located the apartment number Rory gave her. She stood in front of the door having to consciously make the decision to breath in and out.

She knocked before she could change her mind, and waited. She heard heavy footsteps coming toward the door, and in an instant, the door was open.

Jess looked as if a stiff breeze could knock him over. "Wha...what are you doing here?" he stuttered. "You are the last person I expected to see on the other side of the door. You're not concealing any weapons are you?" Jess eyed her suspiciously.

"I left my AK-47 at home. Is there somewhere we could go to talk?" Lorelai asked, bracing herself for the worst.

"I really have nothing to say to you, and frankly, I don't want to hear what you have to say to me, so I suggest you turn yourself around and go back to where you came from," Jess sneered, slamming the door in her face.

Undeterred by the closed door, Lorelai knocked again. She had come too far to just give up now. This was where her obstinate personality served her well.

"Go away!" Jess yelled, his voice muffled through the door.

She knocks again. "Come on Jess, I need to talk to you."

"What could you possibly have to say to me that I would want to hear?"

"I want to apologize," she said meekly.

The door swung open again, and she was face to face with a very skeptical Jess.

"_You, _the second most stubborn person I know, want to apologize?" Jess said with his eyebrows arched in question.

"Yes, I would love to be given the chance if you would be willing to listen. Can I buy you lunch somewhere so that we can talk?"

"I guess it would be stupid of me to pass up free food," he conceded.

"Well, since you know the area, lead the way."

Lorelai silently followed Jess out of the building and down the street where they walked into a little sandwich shop. They placed their orders and took a seat.

They sat there awkwardly for a few minutes as Lorelai collected her thoughts.

She looked at Jess and saw a hardened exterior, but Rory for some reason believed that he was a good guy under all the roughness. She wanted to see what Rory saw, but had a hard time seeing past the stone wall that he had built up.

"Jess, I want you to know that I believe that you didn't hurt Rory on purpose. It took me a while to come to that obvious conclusion because of something you so kindly pointed out, my stubbornness. I wanted you to know that first before I delved into my apology because if you are anything like your uncle, you probably blame yourself." She took a breath to continued "I have had this intense disapproval of you since practically our first meeting. You aren't going to like it when I say this, but I can see myself in you." She stopped and watched for any reaction from him.

Jess just sat there silently absorbing what she was saying. He nodded at her to affirm that he was listening and wanted her to go on.

"The difference between us is that I didn't shun the people that were trying to help me. It took me coming to the end of myself to be able to turn my life around, but I could only do it by accepting the help and guidance that was offered me." She paused trying to organize what she was thinking to put in coherent sentences. "I am sorry that any offer of help on my part was short lived. I should know better than anyone that persistence is the key with people like us. I also apologize for directing all the blame for the accident on you and for my part in Luke sending you away."

He looked at her now and studied her for a few seconds to see if she was really sincere about what she was saying.

"What do you want from me?" Jess asked not sure how he should respond. "I mean, you drove all this way to tell me this when you could have just written a note."

"A note can be left unread, so this way I'm assured that you heard me."

"Why does it matter? I'm gone from Stars Hollow for good. What do you possibly have to gain from coming here?" Jess questioned, his eyes boring into her soul as he tried to discern the truth.

"I want you to come back to Stars Hollow. I want things to be right again for all of us. Luke is distant and not talking to me. Rory is sad because I know that she has found a friend in you, and she knows the accident wasn't your fault. I am miserable in my own stupidity, and I really think that Luke is good for you. I really believe that if you would just accept the security and guidance he is offering you, you would feel at home, and maybe even be happy."

"I don't know if I can come back. You are under the assumption that Luke even wants me back."

"I have known Luke a long time, and I can see that this is killing him. He feels like he failed you, and I know he would want to be given another chance," Lorelai said with certainty.

Jess looked at her and said with honesty, "What makes you think that this wouldn't be a waste of anyone's time? How do you know that I'm not already a lost cause?"

Lorelai pondered what he was saying, and was struck by the fact that right now he looked like a scared little boy instead of the stoic, sarcastic Jess that she had come to expect.

"I believe there is potential in everyone. Rory and Luke have seen this potential inside of you, and I would put a lot of stock in what those two believe. Please, Jess, just think about it okay? Here is my number." She scribbled it down on a receipt and handed it to him. "Call me anytime, and I would be willing to pick you up or whatever."

"I'll think about it, and uh, thanks," he said quietly.

"Yep. See ya around, Jess," she said as she got up to leave, taking her sandwich with her..

Lorelai meandered toward her Jeep engrossed in her thoughts. She hoped what was said would make a difference. She was glad that Jess seemed to really hear her and that he lowered his defenses. She wasn't sure if he was going to come back to Stars Hollow, but at least she knew she tried.

_Would Luke ever forgive her? _That was the question that plagued her mind. Her heart sunk in her chest as she realized that if Jess didn't come back, nothing would really be fixed.

Lorelai knew that she wanted Luke in her life as more than her coffee supplier. She depended on his friendship more than she ever realized. She missed her Luke. The Luke that humored her and went along with her bits. The Luke that listened to her as she ranted about her parents. The Luke that gave her a hard time about the food she ate only because he cared. Luke was a solid fixture in her life, and she wanted that back. Her heart ached for the relationship that was damaged because of her typical acting without thinking routine.

Lorelai managed to get to her car, opened the door, and fell in. She banged her head on the steering wheel and started sobbing. The lightheartedness she felt after talking to Jess was gone, and in it's place was regret and sorrow at the thought of losing Luke.

She was startled out of her reverie by her phone ringing. She looked at the caller id, and tried to sound cheerful as she answered it.

She cleared her throat before she flipped her phone open. "Hey, sweets."

"Hi. How did it go? You answered your phone, so I guess you survived," Rory said.

"It went well. It really did. I'm just not sure if he will come back."

"I think he will, Mom. I really think it will all work out," Rory assured herself as well as her mom.

"I so want you to be right," Lorelai said, unconvinced.

Rory detected some sniffling coming from her mom. "Mom, you did the right thing, and Luke will come around."

"Time will tell. So did you call just to check up on me?" Lorelai asked.

"Yes and no. Dad called wondering what he should wear to Sookie's rehearsal dinner. I told him to wear clothes."

"He is such a girl sometimes. I'll call him on the way home. I'll let you go so I can navigate myself out of here."

"Okay. See you in a while. Drive _safe_," Rory told her.

"Will do. Thanks, hon. Bye," Lorelai said closing the phone.

She pulled out of her parking spot and onto the road heading back to Stars Hollow. She heard her stomach rumble and realized she hadn't eaten her lunch. At least she had the forethought to bring her sandwich with her. She grabbed it while trying to keep her eyes on the road.

While eating and driving she decided to stop thinking about Luke and put her thoughts on things she needed to get done for Sookie's wedding. She was glad to have the distraction of the wedding to keep her mind off of things.

_**TBC**_


	2. Return

**A/N: Thanks go to all those that reviewed and commented on this story. Many thanks to Filo for letting me bounce ideas off of her, to those in the writing sessions, and especially to Jewels, my awesome beta!**

Thursday came with no word from Jess. Lorelai wasn't sure what to think. Every day that passed she became more despondent. She walked by the diner, peering in with a look of yearning. She wanted to go inside more than anything, but she didn't want to risk feeling Luke's animosity. She couldn't handle the longing she felt, so she walked on, not looking back.

Lorelai decided to head home and figure out what she was going to wear for the rehearsal dinner since Chris was going to be there in an hour to pick her up. She was really dreading spending time with him because he required a lot of attention. As much as she tried, she couldn't keep her thoughts off of Luke.

She walked into the house and was greeted by laughter. She heard Rory, and it took her a minute to figure out the other voice.

"I'm really glad you're back, Jess," Rory said.

Jess looked skeptical. "Yeah, I hope it's good."

Lorelai entered the room and gawked at the two of them. She couldn't believe he was actually there.

"Jess, when did you get here?" Lorelai said, still surprised.

"Just a few minutes ago. This was my first stop," he said.

"Oh, so you haven't gone to see Luke yet?" she asked.

"I'm headed there after this."

"Mom, I was just telling Jess that it's good that he came back," Rory said.

"Yes, it's really good. I would've driven to get you."

"Thanks, but this was easier on all of us. I took the bus," Jess said.

"Does Luke know?" Lorelai asked, eager for any information she could glean from him about Luke.

"No, he doesn't. You think he'll take it well?" Jess said unsure.

"I know he will. You go to the diner, and we've got to get to Sookie's."

"Will I see you later?" Jess asked pointedly looking at Lorelai. He knew that Lorelai probably hadn't been to the diner much if at all since this whole fiasco started.

"Sure thing. Luke will be relieved, Jess," Lorelai nodding confidently.

Jess acknowledged her statement with a grunt and made his way to the door. He lifted his hand in a wave as he walked outside.

Lorelai and Rory collectively sighed as he left.

"Now let us become beautiful!" Lorelai declared.

"How can you improve on perfection?" Rory smirked.

Lorelai smiled at her daughter before she took the stairs two at a time. Jess was back. Everything was going to be fine. Luke would be thrilled, and he was going to finally forgive her. He would forgive he,r wouldn't he? Surely he wasn't that stubborn.

As she got ready, she was having trouble getting control of her conflicted thoughts. She wanted to embrace positivity, but she had just enough skepticism within herself that counteracted her confidence.

She looked at the clock and realized Chris would be there any minute. She tried to figure out what even possessed her to invite him in the first place. She suspected the reason was because he had been a frequent visitor since the accident, and she was feeling a bit lonely. It was a very dangerous move on her part. She had gotten herself into predicaments with him before while in a vulnerable state. She needed to be on her guard with him. He didn't often think with the right head.

She heard the sound of the doorbell as it traveled into her room. She took one last look at herself in the mirror, and exhaled. "Show time," she whispered to herself, strolling downstairs to answer the door.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

At the diner, Luke was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he was neglecting his customers. There was commotion going on all around him, but he was oblivious. People were yelling for refills and their food, but Luke continued silently cleaning the counter with a far off look on his face.

He was having difficulty figuring out when when things in his life got so out of control. He hadn't realized that Lorelai was harboring a secret resentment toward Jess. He knew that their first meetings were rough, but he thought she'd moved on, after all, she did stand up for him at the town meeting. When he had talked to her about Rory tutoring Jess, she gave no indication to him that she was opposed to them spending time together. He knew she probably had concerns, but he thought she had more confidence in Rory than to worry about Jess' influence on her.

There were two things that bothered him the most about Lorelai's offensive speech to him. The first was that she accused him of not caring about her and Rory. She must not know him well enough to even think that. The evidence proved otherwise.

The other thing was that she didn't care about what happened to Jess and expected him not to care. She was just looking for Jess to yell at him, and Luke got in the way of that. He hated that Lorelai put him in the position of choosing between them. He despised himself for even letting her have that power over him. He exposed his feelings to her with that one decision to send Jess away. So he ignored her, letting her flounder in her apologies, not willing to meet her halfway.

He needed more than a simple apology from her to make everything right. Though, he was not sure what he expected her to do. He wanted to forgive her, but something was holding him back besides his own stubbornness.

Luke decided to take a break and run up to his apartment since he wasn't doing much good downstairs. As soon as he entered he felt like something was amiss. From his vantage point at the door, he spotted a duffel bag placed on Jess' bed and he knew that he was back. He proceeded into the living area and saw Jess lounging on the couch.

Luke nodded at Jess acknowledging his presence. "What are you doing here?"

"Why, Uncle Luke, where's my hug?" Jess commented sarcastically.

"What are you doing here, Jess?" He emphasized each word as he said it.

"I want to come back."

"You want to come back, " Luke repeated trying to process.

Jess glanced at Luke trying to anticipate his reaction. "That's what I said."

"You do realize that if I allow this, things are going to have to change," Luke said pointedly. "I mean it, Jess."

"I know," Jess said shaking his head in agreement.

"I'm going to ride your tail hard."

"Okay."

"Okay," Luke sighed. "So how did you come to the conclusion that you wanted to come back?"

"I had a visit from a little birdie."

"What do you mean? Someone came to visit you from Stars Hollow?"

"Wow, Luke you catch on quick." Jess continued, "Yeah, she told me that I should think about coming back."

"She?" Luke asked baffled.

"Someone that obviously thinks a lot about you."

"What do you mean? And who is this she?"

"This person that is as stubborn as you came all the way to New York just to apologize to me."

"Dammit, Jess! Be straight with me," Luke shouted.

"It was Lorelai."

"Lorelai? Why...why would she go see you?" he asked perplexed.

"Like I said, she came to apologize. She's not so bad, actually."

"Okay, let me get this straight. Lorelai Gilmore from Stars Hollow went all the way to New York just to apologize to you."

Jess nodded. "Just how many Lorelai's do you know?"

"Not the point, Jess," Luke growled.

"Well, it is kind of the point when you want me to verify which Lorelai came to New York."

"Shut up." Luke glared at him. "Talking to you is useless. I guess I'll go get the answer straight form the horse's mouth."

Luke turned around, grabbed his jacket, and lumbered out of the apartment, going in search of Lorelai.

"Be easy on her," Jess yelled after him.

_Be easy on her? What is he smoking? And what was she thinking?_ he fumed. _What business does she have going to see Jess and asking him to come back? What if I didn't want him back? The kid is trouble. It is much easier without him around._

If Luke were to be truthful with himself, he would admit to the fact that he missed the punk. He felt like he failed him and had often called with the intention of asking him to come home. Home. Yes, he did consider this to be Jess' home. In fact, he never packed up Jess' stuff to send back to him. But he couldn't get past Lorelai's part in Jess' return. He didn't like people messing in his business, especially people he was not talking to. It bothered him that she knew his weaknesses.

Not thinking clearly, he wandered around town in search of Lorelai. If he would have stopped to process what night it was, he would have remembered that Sookie had been in the diner and talked about the rehearsal dinner at her house tonight. But he wasn't thinking clearly lately. A raven-haired, blue-eyed beauty occupied a lot of his mental space.

After Luke finally located Lorelai's whereabouts, he walked up the steps to Sookie's door and knocked and waited. It was so loud inside that no one heard him, so he opened the door and walked in. He glanced around the room looking for Lorelai. If it wasn't for his singular focus, he would have noticed Chris talking to someone in the living room, but as luck would have it, he remained oblivious when he locked eyes with Lorelai.

Her face lit up in shock and happiness. Relief shined through her eyes as she glided past him, going outside, gesturing with her hand for him to follow.

They made it into the yard, and she turned around to face him. Before he could gather his thoughts, she had her arms around his neck hugging him tightly. The hug was reminiscent of when he brought ice to Rory's birthday party, except she wasn't letting go. His natural reaction was to put his arms around her as he did then. He was so discomposed by her actions that there was little else he could do, but to return the hug. Her voice in his ear woke him from the trance.

"I missed you, Luke," Lorelai whispered.

He exalted in the sensation of her touch, but was not to be deterred from his original intent. He stiffened slightly as he grazed his hands up her arms to her wrists, grasped them lightly, and gently pulled her arms down from around his neck. He held her there securely wanting to get answers.

They were face to face, but Lorelai's eyes darted everywhere, not focusing on any one thing, especially not him. Finally, she bowed her head, looking down at the ground. She felt the distance between them when he pulled her away and that made her very nervous.

"Lorelai, look at me."

She slowly brought her eyes up to meet his. There she saw a myriad of emotions pass by. She saw not just anger, pride, hurt but there was also something else lurking in the shadows that could not yet be identified.

He examined her bright blue orbs, seeking to discern the truth. He needed to know what her motivation was behind the intrusion into his matters.

"Why would you think I wanted him to come back?" he asked dropping her arms with his gaze unwavering.

"Didn't you?" she retorted.

"No, I'm going to ask the questions here," he said as his anger resurfaced. "It's none of your business. What were you thinking?"

"Believe it or not, I was thinking about you. I know you pretty well, and I figured you wanted another chance with him."

"Tell me, did you think you knew me well when you accused me of not caring about you or Rory?" he questioned sharply. "I don't get it, Lorelai. I thought you did know me. Isn't it proof that I would send my own nephew away, of how much I care?"

"Yes, Luke. It took me way too long to realize that. I was wrong about so many things," she said shaking her head sadly. "That's why I went to New York. I had to make it right with Jess in order to make it right with you. I'm so sorry, Luke," she pleaded.

"What exactly are you sorry about? I mean, I want to completely forgive you. There are just a few things you need to clear up for me," he said feeling calmer.

"The list is long," she said chuckling to herself. One look at Luke sobered her again. "I'm sorry that I hurt you. I'm sorry that I accused you of things that weren't true. I'm sorry that I made you choose. I'm sorry that I didn't give Jess the benefit of the doubt. I'm sorry that I'm stupid. I'm sure there is more, but that pretty much sums it up."

Luke, at that point, had crept closer to her. He felt all the anger, stubbornness, and hurt melt from his body at her words. For some reason, he was compelled to be close to her and to touch her. He grabbed her by the waist, tugged her close to him, and put his arms around her. He stuck his nose in her hair, breathing her in. "I missed you too, Lorelai," he whispered in her ear.

With a sigh of relief, she put her arms around his neck again, holding him tight. She smiled as she felt him rub her back in circles. She thought he had nice, big, strong hands. Then she felt something that made her fluttery; his lips were on her neck applying gentle pressure. Up and down her neck his lips glided, sending her into spasms of ecstasy. She wondered if he knew what he was doing to her. His touch was electrifying.

She pulled back to look at him. His eyes were no longer filled with the negative emotions that were there earlier. In their place was what had been hiding: adoration, desire, and...love?

Before she could process everything she saw, her lips were on his. She started by giving short pecks, but he wanted none of that. With his desire amped up, he wanted to devour her. He crushed her to him eliciting a groan from her. He slid his tongue into her mouth causing her to react as her tongue tangled with his. Neither one knew how long they stood in Sookie's yard kissing. But the one thing they did know was that they enjoyed every second of it.

Luke drew away from the kiss, panting for air, still holding her tightly.

Lorelai smiled softly and said quietly as not to fracture the moment, "Does that mean you forgive me?"

"What do you think?" he said with a grin as he started to lean in again.

The sound of a familiar voice filtered through the air. "Lor! Lor," the voice called. Lorelai, finally aware of who was calling her name, moved away form Luke. She grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze and said, "Wait here. I'll be right back."

She walked over to where Chris was standing on the sidewalk.

"Hey, Lor. You disappeared. Is everything okay?" Chris asked, his eyes concentrating on Luke.

"Yeah, Chris. Everything is fine. Luke and I were just talking," she said blushing.

"You looked awful close to be just talking," he said snidely.

"Wow, Chris, look at the time. You need to leave don't you? It's a long drive back to Boston," Lorelai said wanting him to scram so she could get back to Luke.

Chris looked at his watch. "Yeah, I guess I do need to head out." Raising his voice so Luke could hear, he said, "I'll see you later, Lor. You take care." He started striding to his Volvo. As he got in, he glimpsed Luke and Lorelai in an embrace. "I guess that's that," he said as he drove off, not giving them a second look.


End file.
